CN107949973B

CN107949973B - Wireless charging device with controlled power level adjustment

Info

Publication number: CN107949973B
Application number: CN201680045735.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: S·辛贾; S·杨
Original assignee: Intel Corp
Current assignee: Intel Corp
Priority date: 2015-09-04
Filing date: 2016-07-27
Publication date: 2022-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 2036-07-27
Also published as: WO2017039886A1; US20170066334A1; US10675980B2; DE112016004009T5; US11527904B2; CN107949973A; US20210044131A1

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques and configurations for controlling power level adjustments of a wireless charging apparatus. In one example, the apparatus may include a charging module to radiate an electromagnetic field to wirelessly charge an electronic device in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus; and a control module communicatively coupled with the charging module to adjust a power level of an electromagnetic field radiated by the charging module in response to a determination of an environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus. The control module may be configured to receive information indicative of environmental conditions from a plurality of sources distributed between the apparatus and the electronic device, and make the determination based at least in part on the received information. The environmental condition may include the presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Description

Wireless charging device with controlled power level adjustment

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. application No.14/846,685 entitled "wireless charging device WITH CONTROLLED POWER LEVEL ADJUSTMENT (A WIRELESS CHARGING APPARATUS WITH CONTROLLED POWER LEVEL ADJUSTMENT advanced us kit)" filed on 4.9.2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of sensor-equipped devices, and more particularly, to wireless charging apparatuses.

Background

Various wireless chargers are commonly used to charge electronic devices, for example, user devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, "2 in 1" mobile computing devices, or wearable devices. Wireless chargers typically include an inductive charger that uses an inductive coil (transmitter (Tx) coil) to create an alternating electromagnetic field. A cooperating induction coil (receiver (Rx) coil) in the user equipment takes power from the electromagnetic field and converts it back into a current in order to charge the battery of the user equipment. Two adjacent induction coils can be combined to form an electrical transformer. When the inductive charging system uses resonant inductive coupling, a greater distance between the transmitter and receiver coils can be achieved.

The parameters of the electromagnetic field created by the wireless charger may be subject to certain requirements in order to comply with interoperability standards and acceptable levels of user exposure. For example, international organizations such as the wireless power consortium (A4WP) and the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), among others, define requirements for interoperability such as operating frequencies, field magnitudes, and power levels in wireless power systems. Regulatory authorities such as the united states Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the international non-ionizing radiation protection commission (ICNIRP) provide regulatory requirements for human exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) waves and electromagnetic radiation.

Current solutions may include wireless chargers with coils designed such that power transfer may comply with power levels defined by the wireless power (i.e., A4WP and WPC) standards while also meeting regulatory restrictions imposed by the FCC and other agencies.

Brief Description of Drawings

The embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate this description, like reference numerals designate like structural elements. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example wireless charging system 100 in conjunction with the teachings of the present disclosure, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of at least a partial implementation of the wireless charging apparatus of fig. 1, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 3 is an example process flow diagram for power level adjustment for a wireless charging apparatus configured to begin a charging process by generating an electromagnetic field at a default power level, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 4 is an example process flow diagram for power level adjustment of a wireless charging apparatus configured to begin a charging process by generating an electromagnetic field at an increased power level, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 5 is an example process flow diagram for power level adjustment for a wireless charging apparatus configured to begin a charging process by generating an electromagnetic field at an increased power level, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 6 is an example process flow diagram for power level adjustment for a wireless charging apparatus, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 7 is an example process flow diagram for determining the presence or absence of an environmental condition related to a wireless charging apparatus, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 8 is an example computing device suitable for being configured as the apparatus in fig. 1-7, in accordance with various embodiments.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques and configurations for controlled power level adjustment of a wireless charging apparatus. According to an embodiment, the apparatus may include a charging module to radiate an electromagnetic field to wirelessly charge an electronic device in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus; and a control module communicatively coupled with the charging module to adjust a power level of an electromagnetic field radiated by the charging module in response to a determination of an environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus. The control module may be configured to receive information indicative of environmental conditions from a plurality of sources, such as various sensors or components distributed between the apparatus and the electronic device, and make a determination based at least in part on the received information. The environmental condition may include the presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging device.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown by way of illustration embodiments in which the subject matter of the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

For the purposes of this disclosure, the phrase "a and/or B" means (a), (B), (a) or (B), or (a and B). For the purposes of this disclosure, the phrase "A, B, and/or C" means (a), (B), (C), (a and B), (a and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).

The description may use perspective-based descriptions such as top/bottom, in/out, up/down, and the like. This description is merely for ease of discussion and is not intended to limit application of the embodiments described herein to any particular orientation.

The specification may use the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in embodiments," which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

The term "coupled with … …" and derivatives thereof may be used herein. "coupled" may mean one or more of the following. "coupled" may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical, electrical, or optical contact. However, "coupled" may also mean that two or more elements are in indirect contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other, and that one or more other elements are coupled or connected between the elements to be coupled with each other. The term "directly coupled" may mean that two or more elements are in direct contact.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example wireless charging system 100 in conjunction with the teachings of the present disclosure, in accordance with some embodiments. As shown, the wireless charging system 100 may include a wireless charging apparatus 102, such as a Power Transmitting Unit (PTU), including, for example, a wireless pad or other wireless charging device configured to radiate an electromagnetic field 104, the wireless charging apparatus 102 for wirelessly charging an electronic device 150 (also referred to as a Power Receiving Unit (PRU)) in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus 102. In some embodiments, wireless charging apparatus 102 may include a charging module 120, the charging module 102 configured to radiate electromagnetic field 104 using Tx coil 126 to wirelessly charge electronic device 150. Charging module 120 may include circuitry 124 for manipulating the radiation of electromagnetic field 104 through Tx coil 126. The circuit 124 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 2.

Wireless charging device 102 may further include a control module 130, the control module 130 communicatively coupled with charging module 120 and configured to adjust charging module 120 to adjust a power level of electromagnetic field 104 radiated by TX coil 126 in response to a determination of an environmental condition related to wireless charging device 102, as will be described in more detail below. The control module 130 may include a processor 132 and a memory 134 having instructions that, when executed on the processor 132, may cause the processor 132 to perform tasks of the wireless charging system 100, some of which are described below with reference to fig. 3-7.

The wireless charging device 102 may include other components 122 as needed for the functionality of the wireless charging device 102. As shown, other components 122 may include a power supply unit 138 coupled with a Voltage Regulator (VR)140, and one or more ports 142, e.g., a communication interface to allow the wireless charging apparatus 102 to communicate over one or more wired networks and/or with any other suitable device, such as the electronic device 150. The other components 122 may further include a light source (e.g., a light emitting diode) 144, or the like. The above-listed components of the other components 122 are described for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Other components 122 may include more or fewer components than those described above, as desired for the functionality of the wireless charging device 102.

The wireless charging apparatus 102 may include a wireless communication interface for allowing the wireless charging apparatus to communicate over one or more wired networks and/or with any other suitable device, such as the electronic device 150. For example, wireless charging device 102 may include a short-range communication unit (SRCU)136, such as Near Field Communication (NFC) or coupled with an antenna 138

A communication device.

The electronic device 150 may be any one of a number of PRUs, and may include a mobile device (e.g., a tablet computer, a smartphone, a two-in-one computing device, etc.), a wearable device, or any other user device configured to accept wireless charging. The electronic device 150 may include an Rx coil 152 coupled with a power module 154. The power module 154 may include various components configured to enable the supply of power to the electronic device 150, including wireless charging capabilities for a power source (e.g., battery) 156. For example, the power module 154 may include a rectifier 158 coupled with the Rx coil 152, one or

more VRs

160 and 164, a power unit 161 for using voltage outputs of the VRs to power other VRs and other functional units on the PRU 150, and a charger controller 166 configured to control power to the electronic device 150.

The above listed modules of the power supply 154 are described for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The power module 154 may include more or fewer modules than those described above, as desired for the functionality of the electronic device 150. Further, the electronic device 150 may include various modules and components as desired for the functionality of the device 150, depending on the type of device 150, but these modules and components are not described herein for the sake of brevity.

The wireless charging system 100 may include one or more (e.g., multiple) sources configured to collect and provide information indicative of environmental conditions that may be related to the wireless charging device 102. These sources may include, but are not limited to, various sensors configured to detect conditions associated with the wireless charging apparatus 120 and/or the electronic device 150, as well as other components. These sources can be distributed throughout the system 100 in a number of different ways: some of these sources may be disposed in the wireless charging apparatus 102 while others may be disposed in the electronic device 150, as will be described below. In some embodiments, these sources may be disposed on either the wireless charging apparatus 102 or the electronic device 150.

In the example embodiment shown in fig. 1, the information sources may include: a camera 162, an Infrared (IR) sensor 164, a rotation sensor 166 (e.g., an accelerometer or gyroscope), and/or a user interaction detection component 168 configured to detect user activity associated with the electronic device 150 (e.g., user interaction with a user interface of the electronic device 150).

In some embodiments, the information source may further include a proximity sensor 180 configured to monitor environmental conditions related to the electronic device 150 or the wireless charging apparatus 102, such as the presence of a user 190 (and thus human tissue) in the vicinity of the wireless charging apparatus 102 or the electronic device 150, and to provide an output signal indicative of the proximity of human tissue to the respective device below a threshold distance, e.g., enforced by regulatory agencies to ensure a safe distance. The proximity sensor 180 may include a capacitive proximity sensor configured to measure a change (increase or decrease) in capacitance. The proximity or touch of the sensor 180 by a human body, hand or finger may cause a detectable change in the dielectric constant of the capacitor.

As described above, the information sources can be distributed throughout the system 100 in different ways. For example, as shown in fig. 1, the proximity sensor 180 may be disposed in the wireless charging device 102 to provide an output signal to the control module 130 indicative of proximity of human tissue to the wireless charging system 102 that is below a threshold distance.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, the camera 162, the IR sensor 164, the rotation sensor 166, and the user interaction detection component 168 may be disposed in the electronic device 150 to provide information indicative of the presence of the user 190 to the sensor hub 170. The sensor hub 170 may aggregate the provided information and submit the aggregated information to the electronic device control module 172 (in embodiments, the electronic device control module 172 may communicate the aggregated information or environmental conditions inferred from the aggregated information to the PTU 102). It will be appreciated that the presence of the user 190 may be detected in a number of different ways. For example, the camera 162 may be turned on by the user 190, which may indicate the presence of the user. The IR sensor 164 can detect IR radiation changes associated with the presence of the user 190. The rotation sensor 166 may detect movement of the electronic device 150, which may indicate the presence of a user 190 in proximity to the electronic device 150. The user interaction detection component 168 may detect interactions of the user 190 with the electronic device 150, such as interactions with user interface components (not shown) of the electronic device 150. Information from at least one (or more, or all) of these sources may indicate the presence of a user 190 in proximity to the electronic device 150.

The electronic device control module 172 may be configured to collect information indicative of environmental conditions related to the electronic device 102 from the above-described sources via the sensor hub 170, e.g., on a continuous or periodic basis. The environmental condition may be the presence of the user 190 (and thus the presence of human tissue) in proximity to the electronic device 102.

The electronic device control module 172 may be further configured to detect the presence of the wireless charging apparatus 102 in proximity to the electronic device 150 and provide the collected information to the wireless charging apparatus 102 in response to the detection of the presence of the wireless charging apparatus 102 in proximity to the electronic device 150.

The electronic device 150 may be configured to determine the presence of the wireless charging apparatus 102 in proximity to the device in a number of different ways. For example, the electronic device 150 may include a PRU SRCU 176 coupled to the control module 172 and further coupled to a Tx analog module 174 to analog pre-process (like modulate and amplify) the signal before feeding it to the antenna and an antenna 178. Alternatively, the electronic device 150 may be configured to detect the presence of the wireless charging apparatus 102, e.g., via the PRU SRCU 176 and the corresponding PTU SRCU 136, and initiate a handshaking procedure with the wireless charging apparatus 102 (or in response to a handshake of the wireless charging apparatus 102) and establish a communication link. In response to determining the presence of the wireless charging apparatus 102, the electronic device 150 may communicate information collected from sources (e.g., 162, 164, 166, and 168) disposed on the device 150 to the wireless charging apparatus 102 via a communication link established by the PRU SRCU 176 and the corresponding PRU SRCU 136.

It should be noted that the source of information indicating the environmental condition is shown in fig. 1 for illustration only and is not limiting of the implementation of the wireless charging system 100. It will be understood that any number or type of sensors or components may be used in the wireless charging system 100 to detect human tissue in proximity to the electronic device 150 and ultimately to the wireless charging apparatus 102. For example, a microphone may be disposed on the wireless charging apparatus 102 or the electronic device 150 to capture audio associated with the user 190, and a determination may be made accordingly of the presence of the user 190 in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus 102.

The above-described distribution of information sources throughout the wireless charging system 100 is described for illustrative purposes only. In some embodiments, at least some of these sources, such as the camera 162 and/or the IR sensor 164, may be arranged on the wireless charging device 102 in order to detect the presence of the user 190 (and thus the presence of human tissue) in the vicinity from which the wireless charging device 102 may be below a safety threshold. It should be noted that a safety threshold may be required in order to trigger the proximity sensor. As described herein, additional sensors such as IR, cameras, etc. may detect and trigger an indication of the presence of human tissue even without generating a trigger from a proximity sensor.

In some embodiments, the proximity sensor 180 may be disposed in the electronic device 150 to provide an output signal indicative of proximity of human tissue to the electronic device 150 below a user-to-electronic device threshold distance. As described above, this indication may be provided to the control module 130 of the wireless charging apparatus 102 alone or in combination with information collected from other information sources disposed in the electronic device 150. The electronic device 150 may also communicate information to the wireless charging apparatus 102 indicating the presence of the electronic device 150 in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus 102 (e.g., via handshaking). The information indicating the proximity of the electronic device 150 to the wireless charging apparatus 102, in combination with the information indicating the proximity of human tissue to the electronic device 150, may serve as an indication to the control module 130 that the user 190 is in fact present in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus 102 that is below a safe threshold distance.

The control module 130 of the wireless charging device 102 may have a hardware or software implementation or a combination thereof. Control module 130 may be configured to receive information indicative of an environmental condition related to apparatus 102 (e.g., the presence or absence of human tissue in proximity to apparatus 102) from a plurality of sources described above, and make a determination regarding the environmental condition based at least in part on the received information. Control module 130 may be further configured to adjust the power level of electromagnetic field 104 radiated by charging module 120 of device 102 to a desired power level, such as a mandatory power level, in response to this determination.

For example, charging module 120 of wireless charging device 102 may cause electromagnetic field 104 to radiate at a default (first) power level. The control module 130 of the apparatus 102 may determine, based at least in part on the received information, whether human tissue is present in the vicinity, e.g., below a threshold (safe) distance, from the wireless charging device 102. Control module 130 may further cause charging module 120 to switch radiation of electromagnetic field 104 from a default (first) power level to a second power level (different from the default power level), or to maintain radiation substantially at the default power level, based at least in part on the result of the determination.

For example, the control module 130 may determine that human tissue is present in the vicinity of the wireless charging apparatus 102 (e.g., at a distance below a threshold distance). In some embodiments, in addition to the above determinations, control module 130 may further determine that human tissue is present in proximity to device 102 for a period of time that may be greater than an exposure time threshold. Accordingly, control module 130 may switch the radiation of electromagnetic field 104 to a second power level, which may be lower than the first power level. For example, the second power level may be health safe, e.g., within an output power range mandated by a governmental regulatory body (e.g., FCC or CE) for mobile devices, in order to reduce or eliminate the risk of physical injury to user 190 due to wireless charging system 100 being continuously exposed to electromagnetic waves associated with electromagnetic field 104.

In embodiments, the exposure time threshold and the safe distance threshold may vary depending on the charging device type, method of use, user preferences, particular market segments, and other factors.

Instead of stopping the charging process to reduce the power level of the radiated electromagnetic field to a mandatory range, the impact of false triggering of the proximity sensor 180 may be mitigated. It is well known that proximity sensors may indicate a proximity event when there is no actual event (false positive). Empirically, false positives occur more frequently than proximity sensors fail to trigger in the presence of a proximity event (false negatives). Thus, the power level of the radiated field may be reduced to a range mandated by the federal government to provide efficient charging of the electronic device 150.

In another example, the control module 130 may determine that human tissue is not present in the vicinity of the wireless charging apparatus 102 (e.g., at a distance below a threshold safe distance). Accordingly, control module 130 may maintain the power level at a first (default) power level or switch the power level to a second power level that may be greater than the first (default) power level. The latter scenario provides for increased charging of the electronic device 150 at an increased power level ("turbo charging mode") when proximity of the user 190 to the wireless charging apparatus 102 is not present, thereby enabling efficient charging of the electronic device 150.

As described above, control module 130 may receive information indicative of the absence or presence of human tissue in proximity to wireless charging device 102 from a plurality of heterogeneous information sources, including various sensors or components (not shown) disposed throughout system 100. Providing information from multiple sources may ensure a robust (e.g., high probability) determination of the presence or absence of a user (human tissue) in the vicinity of the wireless charging device. For example, the control module 130 may poll the output signals from the

sensors

180, 162, and 164, and the user interaction detection component 168, at least for a threshold period of time, and determine the respective states of the sensors based at least in part on the results of the polling.

The control module 130 may be configured to make a determination as to whether human tissue is present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus 102 based on information provided from heterogeneous sources. For example, the control module 130 may decide that human tissue is present in the vicinity of the wireless charging apparatus 102 based on information from at least one (e.g., only one) of the available information sources that may indicate the presence of human tissue, while other sources may or may not provide such an indication. The process of making a determination of the presence of an environmental condition related to the wireless charging device 102 is described below with reference to fig. 7.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of at least partial implementation 200 of the wireless charging apparatus 102 of fig. 1, in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, the schematic diagram of fig. 2 illustrates at least a portion of the charging module 120 (e.g., the circuit 124), at least a portion of the charging module 120 being configured to operate the Tx coil 126 under the control of the control module 130. For simplicity, like components in fig. 1 and 2 may be enumerated with like numerals.

As described with reference to fig. 1, the proximity sensor 180 may be coupled with logic circuitry, such as the control module 130, to monitor the sensor 180 status. The proximity sensor 180 may provide an output signal indicating the presence of human tissue, a proximity sensor service request (PS _ serv _ req), to the control module 130. The control module 130 may sense the capacitance change by polling the output of a signal conditioning circuit (not shown) that processes the output of the proximity sensor 180, such as for signal amplification, filtering noise, and so forth. The state of the sensor 104 may be indicated by the state (e.g., logic high or logic low) of the PS _ service _ req signal. If the signal state remains the same for a period of time (clocked by the system clock shown), the control module 130 may provide a signal sensor _ OK to the AND logic gate 202 to control the gain of the Power Amplifier (PA)204 driving the charging current into the Tx coil 126 based on the receipt of the PS _ service _ req signal from the proximity sensor 180. Another input signal to AND logic gate 202 may be a PA _ enable control signal.

In an embodiment, the PA _ enable control signal may be a function of PS _ serv _ req. For example, if the proximity sensor 180 is in an active state, the signal sensor _ OK may be a logic high. When human tissue comes into proximity with proximity sensor 104, sensor 104 may detect a proximity event and issue a PS _ serv _ req signal. The proximity event may be the presence of human tissue at an unsafe distance from the wireless charging apparatus 102. The active state of the PS _ serv _ req signal may be required to disable the power amplifier 204. Thus, the PA _ enable control signal at the input of AND logic gate 202 may be an inverse function of the PS _ serv _ req signal.

The control module 130 may issue a sensor _ OK signal to allow passage of a PA _ enable signal to the power amplifier 124 when there is no detection of a proximity event by the sensor 104 for a period of time below the threshold. The PA _ enable signal may control the input communication signal PA _ in (PA _ in) to be amplified by the power amplifier 204 to produce an output signal PA _ out (PA _ out) that may drive the Tx coil 126.

For example, a change from a logic high state to a logic low state of PS _ serv _ req (or vice versa) may indicate detection of a proximity event by the sensor 104. This control module 130 may send a signal sensor _ OK to AND logic gate 202, which in turn may gate the PA _ enable signal. The sensor _ OK signal may gate the PA _ enable signal from passing to the power amplifier 204 and from allowing the PA _ out signal to be provided to the Tx coil 126 if a proximity event has not been detected for a period of time exceeding a threshold. The threshold time period may be calculated by the control module 130 using, for example, a system clock via the signal systemlck (system Clk) shown in fig. 2.

The PA _ enable signal may control the power gain (e.g., charging current) provided by the power amplifier 204 to the Tx coil 126. In the example illustrated in fig. 2, the PA _ enable signal, if gated on, may turn off the power amplifier 204. The change in capacitance of the sensor 180 in the presence of human tissue may be above a threshold capacitance (Δ Cth), which may be calibrated to a value commonly used under maximum load conditions in the absence of human tissue. Thus, the change in capacitance detected by the proximity sensor 180 may be attributable to the presence of human tissue and not to the increased load of a larger receiving device (e.g., a notebook rather than a mobile phone). Whenever the detected change in capacitance is above the threshold Δ Cth, the control module 130 may adjust the PA 204 gain down, thereby driving a lower current into the Tx coil 126. The reduced drive current into the Tx coil 126 may allow the electromagnetic wave exposure generated by the Tx coil 126 to be kept below regulatory limits. Generally, reducing power into the Tx coil may also reduce radiated electromagnetic fields, including magnetic fields.

Control module 130 of wireless charging apparatus 102 of fig. 1 may be configured to adjust the power level of electromagnetic field 104 radiated by charging module 120 in response to determining the presence or absence of human tissue in the vicinity of wireless charging apparatus 102 in a number of different ways. For example, the power level adjustment may depend in part on an initial power level at which the wireless charging device 102 may operate the Tx coil 126. As described with reference to fig. 2, the power level of the electromagnetic field generated by the Tx coil 126 corresponds to the charging current provided to the Tx coil 126 by the charging module 120 under the control of the control module 130. The example described with reference to fig. 1 references a first (default) power level and a second power level, the first power level being adjustable to the second power level as needed.

In some embodiments, the initial power level may be a default power level, e.g., a predetermined intermediate power level, at which the wireless charging device may begin operation.

In some embodiments, the initial power level may be a reduced power level, e.g., a level below a predetermined intermediate power level. The reduced power level may be a safe power level, e.g., a level within the mandatory power limits for the electronic device as described above. For example, the wireless charging apparatus may be configured to begin charging the electronic device at a reduced power level based on an assumption that a user of the electronic device may be in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus and may be subject to radiation by an electromagnetic field generated by the wireless charging apparatus.

In some embodiments, the initial power level may be an increased or "boosted" power level, e.g., a power level above a predetermined intermediate power level. For example, based on the assumption that a user of the electronic device may not be present in the vicinity of the wireless charging apparatus, the wireless charging apparatus may be configured to begin charging the electronic device at an increased power level (referred to herein above as a "turbo charging mode").

Fig. 3-7 illustrate different examples of power adjustment processes performed by a control module of a wireless charging apparatus, in accordance with some embodiments.

The process 300 may begin at block 302 where the control module may operate the wireless charging device to provide a charging current at a default level to a Tx coil of the wireless charging device to enable a default power level of an electromagnetic field generated by the Tx coil.

At decision block 304, the control module may determine whether a user presence has been detected in proximity to the wireless charging device. As described with reference to fig. 1, the control module may determine whether a user (human tissue) is present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus for a period of time greater than a threshold period of time.

If the user has not been determined to be present, at block 306, the control module may cause the charging current to increase, enabling a turbo charging mode of the wireless charging device. If it has been determined that the user is present, at block 308, the control module may reduce the charging current in order to enable a safe power level of the electromagnetic field generated by the Tx coil of the wireless charging device. Process 300 may then return to decision block 304, for example, after a determined time has elapsed since the power level adjustment performed at

block

306 or 308, to initiate a user presence determination.

The process 400 may begin at block 402, where the control module may operate the wireless charging device to provide a charging current at an increased level to the Tx coil of the wireless charging device to enable a turbo charging mode of the wireless charging device.

At decision block 404, the control module may determine whether a user presence has been detected in proximity to the wireless charging device. As described with reference to fig. 1, the control module may determine whether a user (human tissue) has been present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus for a period of time greater than a threshold period of time.

For example, if the user presence has not been determined after a defined period of time, process 400 may return to decision block 404 to initiate a user presence determination. If it has been determined that the user is present, at block 406, the control module may reduce the charging current to enable a safe power level of the electromagnetic field generated by the Tx coil of the wireless charging device. Process 400 may then return to decision block 404.

Fig. 5 is an example process flow diagram for power level adjustment for a wireless charging apparatus configured to begin a charging process by generating an electromagnetic field at an elevated power level, in accordance with some embodiments.

Process 500 may begin at block 502 where the control module may operate the wireless charging device to provide a charging current at a reduced level to a Tx coil of the wireless charging device to enable a safe charging mode of the wireless charging device.

At decision block 504, the control module may determine whether a user presence has been detected in proximity to the wireless charging device. As described with reference to fig. 1, the control module may determine whether a user (human tissue) has been present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus for a period of time greater than a threshold period of time.

For example, if the user presence has not been determined after a defined period of time, process 500 may return to decision block 504 to initiate a user presence determination. If it has been determined that the user is present, at block 506, the control module may cause the charging current to increase, enabling a turbo-charging mode of the wireless charging device. Process 500 may then return to decision block 504.

Fig. 6 is an example process flow diagram for power level adjustment for a wireless charging apparatus, in accordance with some embodiments. The process 600 may be consistent with some of the device embodiments described with reference to fig. 1-2. In alternative embodiments, process 600 may be implemented using more or fewer operations, or in a different order of operations. In an embodiment, the process 600 may be implemented as the control module 130 in fig. 1 and 2. More specifically, the process 600 describes the operation of the control module 130 associated with the proximity sensor 180 that may be disposed in the wireless charging device 100, as described with reference to fig. 1-2.

The process 600 may begin at block 602 and include polling of the proximity sensor 180 in fig. 2 for an output signal (e.g., the signal PS _ serv _ req described with reference to fig. 2).

At block 604, the process 600 may include sensing a capacitance (C) of the proximity sensor 180 in response to receiving the output signal from the proximity sensor 180.

At block 606, the process 600 may include calculating a change in capacitance that may occur in response to the presence of human tissue from the proximity sensor 180. For example, the change in capacitance can be calculated by: capacitance Δ C ═ C (t + Δ t) -C (t), where C (t + Δ t) and C (t) are capacitance values in successive increments of time Δ t.

At decision block 608, the process 600 may include determining whether the calculated change in capacitance Δ C exceeds a threshold capacitance Δ Cth described with reference to fig. 2.

If it is determined at block 608 that the calculated change in capacitance Δ C is equal to or below the threshold capacitance Δ Ct, this may indicate that the proximity sensor 180 has not detected human tissue. Accordingly, the process 600 may return to block 602.

If it is determined at block 608 that the calculated change in capacitance Δ C is above the threshold capacitance Δ Cth, this may indicate that the proximity sensor 180 has detected human tissue. Accordingly, at block 610, the process may include polling the time output Δ T (e.g., the time since the proximity event was detected) to determine whether a predetermined threshold time period Δ Tth has been reached. For example, as shown in fig. 2, control module 130 may receive an input of a timer indicated by signal system Clk.

At decision block 608, the process 600 may include determining whether Δ T > Δ Tth, e.g., whether a threshold time period Δ Tth has been reached.

The time output of the polling threshold time period Δ Tth may allow for adaptive control of the charging power level provided by the wireless charging device. More specifically, by monitoring the time delay between adjacent events, the duration and magnitude of the current used to charge the Tx coil at a particular power level may be adaptively controlled. For example, when a user may be in the vicinity of the wireless charging device (e.g., sitting at her desk) for longer than a threshold time period Δ Tth, the user's exposure to the electromagnetic field generated by the wireless charging device may be limited by reducing the current driven into the Tx coil. Conversely, when a user is present at her desk while charging her electronic device for a duration that is below the threshold time period Δ Tth, there may be no need to reduce the charging current.

If it is determined at block 612 that the threshold time period Δ Tth has not been reached, the process 600 may return to block 602 to continue monitoring the output of the proximity sensor 180. Continuing with the above example, if the user leaves her electronic device charged and away from it, the proximity sensor 180 may detect that the user (human tissue) is not present and either leave the charging current at the same level (as described by process 600) or increase the charging current to enable the turbo-charging mode described with reference to fig. 3-5.

If it is determined at block 612 that the threshold time period Δ Tth has been reached, then at block 614 the charging current to the Tx coil may be reduced to limit the radiated electromagnetic field to a level that meets regulatory requirements, as described with reference to fig. 3-5.

At block 616, the process 600 may include resetting the timer to its initial value, after which the process 600 may return to block 602.

As described with reference to fig. 1, information indicative of environmental conditions related to the wireless charging apparatus, such as the presence of human tissue in the vicinity of the wireless charging apparatus (e.g., below a threshold), may be provided by various heterogeneous information sources distributed throughout the wireless charging apparatus and/or an electronic device including the wireless charging system.

Thus, depending on the number of information sources used, the control module of the wireless charging apparatus may be configured by different techniques for determination of environmental conditions, such as the presence of human tissue in the vicinity from the wireless charging apparatus. In general, the presence of human tissue in the vicinity from the wireless charging device (below the threshold) may be determined based on information from at least one of the available information sources that may indicate the presence of human tissue. For example, the presence of human tissue in the vicinity from the wireless charging apparatus 102 (below the threshold) may be determined based on information indicative of human tissue presence provided by one of all available information sources, or two of the available information sources, and so on. The determination of the presence of human tissue with the highest probability may be made based on information indicative of the presence of human tissue that may be provided by all available information sources.

Fig. 7 is an example process flow diagram for determining the presence or absence of an environmental condition related to a wireless charging apparatus, in accordance with some embodiments. Process 700 may be consistent with some of the device embodiments described with reference to fig. 1-2. In alternative embodiments, process 700 may be implemented using more or fewer operations, or a different order of operations. In an embodiment, the process 700 may be implemented as the control module 130 in fig. 1 and 2.

The process 700 may begin at block 702 and include receiving information regarding human tissue presence from a plurality of sources between a wireless charging apparatus and an electronic device of a wireless charging system described with reference to fig. 1.

At block 704, the process 700 may include analyzing information provided by a plurality of sources. For example, the control module may calculate the capacitance provided by the proximity sensor, as described with reference to fig. 2 and 6. The control module may further analyze indications of human tissue presence (or absence) provided by various sources, such as IR sensors (e.g., changes in IR radiation due to human presence), cameras (e.g., camera manipulations by a user), audio (e.g., the user's voice captured by a microphone), user interactions with the electronic device captured by the user interaction detection component, and/or electronic device motions associated with user manipulations, as described with reference to fig. 1.

At decision block 706, process 700 may determine whether at least one of the available sources provides information that may indicate user presence in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus (e.g., for a time period as described with reference to fig. 6).

If at least one of the available sources provides information indicating the presence of a user in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus, at block 708, process 700 may include making a determination that human tissue is present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus. If none of the available sources provide information indicating the presence of a user in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus, at block 708, process 700 may include making a determination that human tissue is not present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus. After the resolution of

blocks

708 or 710 has been made, the process 700 can return to block 702.

Fig. 8 is an example computing device 800 suitable for being configured as the apparatus in fig. 1-7, in accordance with various embodiments. In some embodiments, the components of the example computing device 800 may be used to configure components of the wireless charging system 100, such as the wireless charging apparatus 102 or the electronic device 150 in fig. 1. For purposes of illustration, some of the components of the electronic device 150 in fig. 1 that may include the computing device 800 are shown in blocks indicated by dashed lines, while some of the components of the wireless charging apparatus 102 in fig. 1 that may include the computing device 800 are shown in blocks indicated by solid lines.

As shown, computing device 800 may include one or more processors or processor cores 802 and a system memory 804. For purposes of this application, including the claims, the terms "processor" and "processor core" may be considered synonymous, unless the context clearly requires otherwise. The processor 802 may include any type of processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), microprocessor, or the like. The processor 802 may be implemented as an integrated circuit having multiple cores, e.g., a multiple core microprocessor. The computing device 800 may include a mass storage device 806, such as a solid state drive, volatile memory (e.g., Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), etc.). In general, the system memory 804 and/or the mass storage device 806 may be any type of temporary and/or permanent storage including, but not limited to, volatile and non-volatile memory, optical, magnetic, and/or solid-state mass storage, and the like. Volatile memory can include, but is not limited to, static and/or dynamic random access memory. Non-volatile memory may include, but is not limited to, electrically erasable programmable read only memory, phase change memory, resistive memory, and the like. The system memory 804 and/or the mass storage device 806 may include respective copies of programming instructions configured to perform operations relating to the wireless charging system 100, e.g., collectively represented as computing logic 822.

Computing device 800 may further include input/output (I/O) devices 808, such as displays, soft keyboards, touch-sensitive screens, image capture devices, and so forth, and communication interfaces 810, such as network interface cards, modems, infrared receivers, radio receivers (e.g., Near Field Communication (NFC), bluetooth, WIFI, 4G/6G Long Term Evolution (LTE), and so forth), including PTU SRCU 136 and PRU SRCU 176 described with reference to fig. 1.

Communication interface 810 may include a communication chip (not shown) that may be configured to operate device 800 in accordance with a global system for mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), evolved HSPA (E-HSPA), or Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The communication chip may also be configured to operate in accordance with Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), or evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN). The communication chip may be configured to operate in accordance with Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), evolution data optimized (EV-DO), derivatives thereof, and any other wireless protocols designated as 3G, 4G, 5G, and beyond. In other embodiments, communication interface 810 may operate according to other wireless protocols.

In an embodiment, the computing device 800 may include the wireless charging apparatus 102. For example, the computing device 800 may include the proximity sensor 180, the control module 130 (e.g., as part of the computational logic 822), and the PTU SRCU 136 as part of the communication interface 810. The computing device may further include other components of the apparatus 102, such as, for example, a charging module 120, a Tx coil 126, and other components 122.

In some embodiments, the wireless charging apparatus 102 may be communicatively coupled with an electronic device 150 implemented as the computing device 800 described herein. As shown, the computing device 800 may include a camera 162, an IR sensor 164, a rotation sensor 166, a user interaction detection component 168, a control module 172, a sensor hub 170, and a power module 154 coupled with the Rx coil 152.

The elements of computing device 800 described above may be coupled to each other via a system bus 812, which may represent one or more buses. In the case of multiple buses, they may be bridged by one or more bus bridges (not shown). Each of these elements may perform its conventional functions known in the art. In particular, the system memory 804 and the mass storage device 806 may be employed to store a working copy and a permanent copy of the programming instructions that implement the operations associated with the wireless charging system 100 (such as the control module 130 in fig. 1). The various elements may be implemented in assembler instructions supported by processor 802 or high-level languages that can be compiled into such instructions.

For example, a permanent copy of the programming instructions for the computational logic 822 may be placed in the mass storage device 806 in the factory or in the field through a distribution medium (not shown), such as a Compact Disc (CD), or through the communication interface 810 (from a distributed server (not shown)).

The number, capabilities, and/or capabilities of the

elements

808, 810, 812 may vary depending on whether the computing device 800 is used as a stationary computing device such as a set-top box, desktop computer, charging pad, or a mobile computing device such as a tablet computing device, laptop computer, game console, or smart phone. Their construction is otherwise known and will therefore not be described further.

At least one of the processors 802 may be packaged together with memory having computing logic 822, the computing logic 822 configured to implement aspects of the embodiments described with reference to fig. 1-4. For some embodiments, at least one of the processors 802 may be packaged together with a memory having computational logic 822 to form a System In Package (SiP) or system on a chip (SoC), the computational logic 822 configured to implement aspects of the process 500 in fig. 5. For at least one embodiment, the SoC may be utilized in a computing device, such as, but not limited to, external device 120 in fig. 1, for example. In another embodiment, the SoC may be used to form the wireless charging system of fig. 1.

In various implementations, the computing device 800 may include a laptop, a netbook, a notebook, an ultrabook, a smartphone, a tablet, an ultra-mobile PC, a mobile phone, or a wearable device. In further implementations, the computing device 800 may be any other electronic device that processes data.

Example 1 is a wireless charging apparatus for charging an electronic device, comprising: a charging module for radiating an electromagnetic field to wirelessly charge an electronic device in proximity to a wireless charging apparatus; a control module communicatively coupled with the charging module to adjust a power level of an electromagnetic field radiated by the charging module in response to a determination of an environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus, wherein the control module is to receive information indicative of the environmental condition from a plurality of sources and make the determination based at least in part on the received information.

Example 2 may include the subject matter of example 1, wherein the charging module is to radiate an electromagnetic field at a first power level, wherein receiving information indicative of an environmental condition from a plurality of sources comprises receiving information from at least one sensor, wherein the environmental condition comprises a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus; and wherein the control module adjusting the power level of the electromagnetic field comprises: determining whether human tissue is present in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance based at least in part on the received information; and causing, based at least in part on a result of the determining, the charging module to switch radiation of the electromagnetic field from the first power level to the drop-in power level or to substantially maintain the radiation at the first power level.

Example 3 may include the subject matter of example 2, wherein the at least one sensor is a proximity sensor disposed in the wireless charging apparatus to provide an output signal to the control module indicative of proximity of human tissue to the wireless charging apparatus below a threshold distance.

Example 4 may include the subject matter of example 3, wherein the charging module comprises circuitry to operate radiation of an electromagnetic field, wherein the circuitry comprises: an induction coil for radiating an electromagnetic field; a power amplifier inductively coupled to control a current supplied to the induction coil to radiate an electromagnetic field; and logic coupled with the proximity sensor and the power amplifier to control the power amplifier in response to the output signal provided by the proximity sensor to the control module.

Example 5 may include the subject matter of example 2, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor disposed in the electronic device to provide an output signal to the control module indicating proximity of human tissue to the electronic device below a threshold distance, wherein the electronic device is to communicate information to the wireless charging apparatus indicating a presence of the electronic device in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus.

Example 6 may include the subject matter of any of examples 1-5, wherein the plurality of sources comprises at least some of: a camera, a proximity sensor, an Infrared (IR) sensor, a rotation sensor, or a user interaction detection component for detecting user activity on an electronic device, wherein the plurality of sources are distributed between the wireless charging apparatus and the electronic device.

Example 7 may include the subject matter of example 6, wherein the proximity sensor is disposed in the wireless charging device, and wherein the IR sensor, the camera, and the component for detecting user activity are disposed in the electronic device.

Example 8 may include the subject matter of example 2, wherein the control module is to determine that human tissue is present at a distance from the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance, and wherein to cause the charging module to switch radiation from a first power level to a second power level or to maintain radiation substantially at the first power level comprises to switch radiation to the second power level, wherein the second power level is lower than the first power level, and wherein the second power level is within a power range mandated by a governmental regulatory body for an electronic device.

Example 9 may include the subject matter of example 8, wherein the control module is to further determine that human tissue is present at a distance from the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance for a period of time that is greater than an exposure time threshold.

Example 10 may include the subject matter of example 8, wherein the control module determining that human tissue is present at a distance from the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance comprises: determining that the information received from at least one of the plurality of sources indicates a presence of human tissue in a vicinity from the wireless charging apparatus that is below the threshold distance; and in response to the determination, deciding that human tissue is present in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance.

Example 11 may include the subject matter of example 2, wherein the control module is to determine that human tissue is not present at a distance from the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance, wherein the second power level is greater than or equal to the first power level.

Example 12 is an electronic device, comprising: a plurality of sensors to detect an indication of an environmental condition related to the electronic device; and an electronic device control module, the electronic device control module being configured to: collecting information indicative of an environmental condition related to the electronic device from a plurality of sensors; detecting a presence of a wireless charging apparatus in proximity to an electronic device; and providing the collected information to the wireless charging apparatus in response to detecting the presence of the wireless charging apparatus in proximity to the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is to receive the adjusted level of charging power from the wireless charging apparatus in response to the providing of the collected information.

Example 13 may include the subject matter of example 12, wherein the environmental condition comprises presence of human tissue in proximity to the electronic device, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises two or more selected from: an Infrared (IR) sensor, a rotation sensor, or a camera, wherein the electronic device further comprises a user interaction detection component for detecting user activity on the electronic device.

Example 14 may include the subject matter of example 13, wherein the control module is to collect, on a continuous or periodic basis, information from a plurality of sensors indicative of the presence of human tissue in proximity to the electronic device, wherein the control module is to further collect user activity information from the user interaction detection component, and wherein the control module is to provide the received information to the wireless charging apparatus includes to provide the user activity information.

Example 15 may include the subject matter of any one of examples 12 to 14, wherein the electronic device is a mobile device.

Example 16 is a method of charging an electronic device, comprising: receiving, at a control module of a wireless charging apparatus, information indicative of an environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus from a plurality of sources; determining, by the control module, whether an environmental condition relating to the wireless charging apparatus exists based at least in part on the received information; and adjusting, by the control module, a power level of an electromagnetic field radiated by the wireless charging apparatus based at least in part on a result of the determination.

Example 17 may include the subject matter of example 16, wherein the environmental condition comprises a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus, wherein determining whether the environmental condition is present in relation to the wireless charging apparatus comprises determining, by the control module, that the human tissue is present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus below a threshold distance for a period of time greater than an exposure time threshold, and wherein adjusting the power level comprises switching, by the control module, the power level from a first power level to a second power level that is lower than the first power level, wherein the second power level is within a power range enforced by a governmental regulatory body for the electronic device.

Example 18 may include the subject matter of example 16, wherein the environmental condition comprises a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus, wherein determining whether the environmental condition is present in relation to the wireless charging apparatus comprises being decided by the control module that the human tissue is not present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus below a threshold distance, and wherein adjusting the power level comprises switching, by the control module, the power level from a first power level to a second power level greater than the first power level or maintaining the power level substantially at the first power level.

Example 19 may include the subject matter of example 17, wherein determining that human tissue is present in the proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below the threshold distance comprises: analyzing the received information by the control module; determining, by the control module, that the information received from the at least one of the plurality of sources indicates the presence of human tissue in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below the threshold distance; and responsive to the determination, determining, by the control module, that human tissue is present in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance.

Example 20 is one or more non-transitory computing device-readable media having instructions stored thereon for charging an electronic device, the instructions, in response to execution on a wireless charging apparatus, causing the wireless charging apparatus to: receiving information indicative of an environmental condition related to a wireless charging apparatus from a plurality of sources; determining whether an environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus exists based at least in part on the received information; and adjusting a power level of an electromagnetic field radiated by the wireless charging apparatus based at least in part on a result of the determination.

Example 21 may include the subject matter of example 20, wherein the environmental condition comprises a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus, wherein the instructions that cause the wireless charging apparatus to determine whether the environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus is present further cause the wireless charging apparatus to determine whether the human tissue is present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance for a period of time that is greater than an exposure time threshold, wherein the instructions that cause the wireless charging apparatus to adjust the power level of the electromagnetic field further cause the wireless charging apparatus to switch the power level from a first power level to a second power level that is lower than the first power level, wherein the second power level is within a power range enforced by governmental regulatory authorities for the electronic device.

Example 22 may include the subject matter of example 20, wherein the environmental condition comprises a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus, wherein the instructions that cause the wireless charging apparatus to determine whether the environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus is present further cause the wireless charging apparatus to determine that human tissue is not present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance, wherein the instructions that cause the wireless charging apparatus to adjust the power level of the electromagnetic field further cause the wireless charging apparatus to switch the power level from a first power level to a second power level that is greater than the first power level or to substantially maintain the power level at the first power level.

Example 23 may include the subject matter of any of examples 20 to 22, wherein the electronic device is a mobile device, and wherein the wireless charging apparatus is a wireless charging pad.

Example 24 is an apparatus to charge an electronic device, comprising: means for receiving information indicative of an environmental condition related to a wireless charging apparatus from a plurality of sources; means for determining whether an environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus exists based at least in part on the received information; and means for adjusting a power level of an electromagnetic field radiated by the wireless charging apparatus based at least in part on a result of the determination.

Example 25 may include the subject matter of example 24, wherein the environmental condition comprises a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus, wherein means for determining whether the environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus is present comprises means for determining that the human tissue is present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus below a threshold distance for a period of time greater than an exposure time threshold, and wherein means for adjusting the power level comprises means for switching the power level from a first power level to a second power level lower than the first power level, wherein the second power level is within a power range enforced by a governmental regulatory body for the electronic device.

Example 26 may include the subject matter of example 24, wherein the environmental condition comprises a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus, wherein means for determining whether the environmental condition related to the wireless charging apparatus is present comprises means for deciding that the human tissue is not present in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance, wherein means for adjusting the power level comprises means for switching the power level from a first power level to a second power level that is greater than the first power level or maintaining the power level substantially at the first power level.

Example 27 may include the subject matter of example 25, wherein means for determining that human tissue is present in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance comprises: means for analyzing the received information; means for determining that the information received from at least one of the plurality of sources indicates the presence of human tissue in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below the threshold distance; and means for deciding, in response to the determination, that human tissue is present in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance.

Various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in a system configured as desired using any suitable hardware and/or software.

Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described for purposes of description, a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that the embodiments described in this application be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A wireless charging apparatus for charging an electronic device, comprising:

a proximity sensor disposed in the wireless charging apparatus for providing an output signal indicative of proximity of human tissue to the wireless charging apparatus;

a charging module for radiating an electromagnetic field to wirelessly charge an electronic device in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus, wherein the charging module comprises: an induction coil for radiating the electromagnetic field; a power amplifier coupled with the induction coil for controlling a current provided to the induction coil to radiate the electromagnetic field; and a logic gate coupled to the proximity sensor and the power amplifier for controlling the power amplifier; and

a control module communicatively coupled with the charging module and the proximity sensor, wherein the control module is to generate a first control signal in response to the output signal received from the proximity sensor, the first control signal to be provided to a first input of the logic gate, wherein a second control signal to be provided to a second input of the logic gate is dependent on a state of the output signal of the proximity sensor, and the second control signal to enable the power amplifier to control a charging current of a conductive coil to radiate electromagnetic radiation to charge the electronic device.

2. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charging module is to radiate an electromagnetic field at a first power level,

wherein the control module is to adjust a power level of the electromagnetic field, the adjusting comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the received output signal, whether the human tissue is present in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance; and

cause, based at least in part on a result of the determination, the charging module to switch the radiation of the electromagnetic field from the first power level to a second power level or to substantially maintain the radiation at the first power level.

3. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control module is to receive information from a plurality of sources, the plurality of sources comprising at least some of: a camera, an Infrared (IR) sensor, a rotation sensor, or a user interaction detection component for detecting user activity on the electronic device, wherein the plurality of sources are distributed between the wireless charging apparatus and the electronic device.

4. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 3, wherein the IR sensor, the camera, and the component for detecting user activity are disposed in the electronic device.

5. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control module is to determine that the human tissue is present at a distance from the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance and to switch the radiation to the second power level, wherein the second power level is lower than the first power level, and wherein the second power level is within a power range mandated by a governmental regulatory agency for electronics.

6. The wireless charging device of claim 5, wherein the control module is to further determine that the human tissue is present at the distance from the wireless charging device that is below a threshold distance for a period of time greater than an exposure time threshold.

7. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control module to determine that the human tissue is present at a distance from the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance comprises:

determining that the information received from at least one of the plurality of sources indicates a presence of the human tissue in a vicinity from the wireless charging apparatus below the threshold distance.

8. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control module is to determine that the human tissue is not present at a distance from the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance, wherein the second power level is greater than or equal to the first power level.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a plurality of sensors to detect an indication of an environmental condition related to the electronic device, wherein the environmental condition includes a presence of human tissue in proximity to the electronic device; and

an electronic device control module comprising a user interaction detection component for detecting user activity on the electronic device, wherein the electronic device control module is to: continuously or periodically collecting information from the plurality of sensors indicative of the presence of the human tissue in the proximity to the electronic device; collecting user activity information from the user interaction detection component; detecting a presence of a wireless charging apparatus in proximity to the electronic device; and providing the collected information including user activity information to the wireless charging apparatus in response to the detection of the presence of the wireless charging apparatus in proximity to the electronic device,

wherein the electronic device is to receive an adjusted level of charging power from the wireless charging apparatus in response to the providing of the collected information.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises two or more selected from: an Infrared (IR) sensor, a rotation sensor, or a camera, wherein the electronic device further comprises a user interaction detection component for detecting user activity on the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 or 10, wherein the electronic device is a mobile device.

12. A method of charging an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a control module of a wireless charging apparatus, an output signal from a proximity sensor disposed in the wireless charging apparatus, the output signal indicating a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus for a period of time greater than an exposure time threshold;

determining, by the control module, a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus for a period of time greater than an exposure time threshold; and

adjusting, by the control module, at least a power level of an electromagnetic field radiated by the wireless charging apparatus, the adjusting step comprising:

generating a first control signal in response to the output signal received from the proximity sensor, the first control signal for being provided to a first input of a logic gate of a charging module coupled with the control module, wherein the charging module further comprises: an induction coil for radiating the electromagnetic field; a power amplifier coupled with the inductive coil for controlling a current provided to the inductive coil to radiate the electromagnetic field, wherein the logic gate is coupled with the proximity sensor and the power amplifier; and

Providing a second control signal to a second input of the logic gate based at least in part on a state of the output signal of the proximity sensor to enable the power amplifier to control a charging current of the induction coil to radiate the electromagnetic field to charge the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second light sources are selected from the group consisting of a red light source, a green light source, and a blue light source,

further comprising: determining, by the control module, that the human tissue is present in the proximity to the wireless charging device below a threshold distance for the period of time greater than the exposure time threshold, and

wherein adjusting the power level comprises switching, by the control module, the power level from a first power level to a second power level lower than the first power level, wherein the second power level is within a power range enforced by government regulatory authorities for electronic devices.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second light sources are selected from the group consisting of a red light source, a green light source, and a blue light source,

further comprising: determining, by the control module, that the human tissue is not present in the proximity to the wireless charging apparatus that is below a threshold distance,

wherein adjusting the power level comprises switching, by the control module, the power level from a first power level to a second power level that is greater than the first power level or maintaining the power level substantially at the first power level.

15. An apparatus for charging an electronic device, comprising:

means for receiving an output signal from a proximity sensor disposed in a wireless charging apparatus, the output signal indicating a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus for a period of time greater than an exposure time threshold;

means for determining a presence of human tissue in proximity to the wireless charging apparatus for a period of time greater than an exposure time threshold; and

means for adjusting a power level of an electromagnetic field radiated by the wireless charging apparatus based at least in part on a result of the determination, the means for adjusting comprising:

means for generating a first control signal in response to the output signal received from the proximity sensor, the first control signal for being provided to a first input of a logic gate of a charging module with the wireless charging apparatus, wherein the charging module further comprises: an induction coil for radiating the electromagnetic field; a power amplifier coupled with the inductive coil for controlling a current provided to the inductive coil to radiate the electromagnetic field, wherein the logic gate is coupled with the proximity sensor and the power amplifier; and

Means for providing a second control signal to a second input of the logic gate to enable the power amplifier to control a charging current of the induction coil to radiate the electromagnetic field to charge the electronic device based at least in part on a state of the output signal of the proximity sensor.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein,

wherein means for determining a presence of human tissue in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus comprises means for determining whether the human tissue is present in the proximity to the wireless charging apparatus below a threshold distance for the period of time greater than the exposure time threshold, and

wherein means for adjusting the power level comprises means for switching the power level from a first power level to a second power level lower than the first power level, wherein the second power level is within a power range mandated by a governmental regulatory agency for electronic devices.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein,

wherein means for determining a presence of human tissue in a proximity to the wireless charging apparatus comprises means for determining that the human tissue is not present in the proximity below a threshold distance from the wireless charging apparatus,

Wherein the means for adjusting the power level comprises means for switching the power level from a first power level to a second power level greater than the first power level or maintaining the power level substantially at the first power level.

18. A non-transitory computing device-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for charging an electronic device, the instructions, in response to execution on a wireless charging apparatus, cause the wireless charging apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 12-14.